THE POSITIVE APPROACH OF THE SOVIET UNION TO TERRORIST ACTIVITY AS A REFLECTION OF ARMED STRUGGLE AGAINST IMPERIALISM IS ROOTED IN THE EARLY PERIOD OF BOLSHEVISM. IT CONSTITUTES A RETURN TO THE THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS FORMULATED BY LENIN AT THE BEGINNING OF THE BOLSHEVIK MOVEMENT IN RUSSIA, WHEN PARTISAN WARFARE WAS SANCTIONED AS A FORM OF REVOLUTIONARY STRUGGLE AGAINST CZARISM. QUOTATIONS FROM LENIN ILLUSTRATE THE FALSITY OF THE OFFICIAL LEGEND THAT THE BOLSHEVIKS WERE OPPOSED TO TERRORISM AND POLITICAL ASSASSINATIONS, PROVING INSTEAD THAT HE RECOMMENDED TERRORISM AS INEVITABLE IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS. IT WAS DURING THE EARLY DECADES FOLLOWING THE OCTOBER REVOLUTION THAT SOVIET AGREEMENTS WITH NEIGHBORING STATES BEGAN TO CONTAIN PROVISIONS PROHIBITING TERRORIST AND SUBVERSIVE ACTIVITY AND THE PENETRATION OF FOREIGN STATES BY ORGANIZED ARMED GROUPS. ESSENTIALLY, THESE BILATERAL AGREEMENTS WERE MADE IN SOVIET SELF-INTEREST, TO PROTECT THEIR BOUNDARIES AGAINST INCURSION BY ARMED ANTI-COMMUNIST EMIGRE BANDS SUCH AS THE WHITE GUARD, WHICH OPERATED FROM NEIGHBORING TERRITORIES. IN CONTRAST, INITIAL SOVIET PROPOSALS IN BOTH THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS AND THE UNITED NATIONS OMITTED REFERENCE TO ARMED BANDS IN THEIR DEFINITION OF AGGRESSION. BOTH FORUMS, HOWEVER, ACCEPTED AMENDED DEFINITIONS INCLUDING PROHIBITION OF SUPPORT FOR ARMED BANDS, AND THE SOVIETS CONCURRED. CURRENT SOVIET SUPPORT OF ARAB TERRORISTS AGAINST ISRAEL REPRESENTS A DIRECT CONTRADICTION OF THE UNITED NATIONS AGREEMENT SIGNED IN 1953. AT THAT TIME SOVIETS DECLARED THIS TYPE OF ARMED AGGRESSION TO BE THE MOST DANGEROUS FOR WORLD PEACE AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY, AND THEIR THEORISTS PERMITTED RETALIATION AGAINST INDIRECT ACTS OF IDEOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC AGGRESSION BY THE VICTIM STATE IN THE INTERESTS OF SELF-DEFENSE. BY RECOGNIZING THE LEGALITY OF ARAB TERRORIST ACTIVITY IN ISRAEL ON THE GROUNDS OF SELF-DETERMINATION, SOVIET POLICIES ARE CONTRADICTING THEIR OWN FORMER AGREEMENTS AND ACTIONS WHILE PERPETUATING CONDITIONS OF PERMANENT UNREST IN THE SENSITIVE MIDDLE EAST. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (MRK)